'Wheelers Add Two, Eyerman Reassigned to League
June 1, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Quad City Steamwheelers News Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa — Facing one of the toughest road games of the 2004 season on live television on Meidacom from legendary Freedom Hall, where the Quad City Steamwheelers will take on the National Conference’s top team, the Louisville Fire, ‘Wheelers coach Rich Ingold needed to find strong replacements for a critical must win game.
With the Steamwheelers somewhat depleted on the line and at the fullback/linebacker position, Ingold went out and did what he does best — recruit. With injuries to offensive lineman/defensive lineman Bear Brown and fullback/linebacker Brian Berg, Ingold has brought in fullback/linebacker Elly Salamo and offensive lineman/defensive lineman Rasche Hill, who were assigned to the team by the league office on Tuesday. Both bring years of Arena Football experience to the Steamwheelers.
Salamo played in 2002 and 2003 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers and rushed 83 times for 307 yards and 10 touchdowns, while catching two touchdown passes as well. On defense he had 37 tackles (12 solo), three tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries, two pass deflections and a fumble recovery in 22 games for the Pioneers.
The 6Â’4, 250 lbs., Salamo attended Morrisville Junior College and was selected second team All-Conference and the teamÂ’s Defensive Player of the Year. He was also a 1999 preseason All-American.
He will be joined by another af2 vet, lineman Rasche Hill. Hill, who played half of the 2001 season for the Jim Foster operated, Iowa Barnstormers, brings three seasons of Arena Football experience to the table. In 24 games, the 6Â’5, 335 lbs., Hill recorded 37 tackles (16 solo), five tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a safety, three pass deflections and a quarterback hurry. Hill also had a receiving touchdown with the Roanoke Steam in 2001. Hill has played for the Barnstormers, Steam, and Peoria Pirates. He was a member of the 2002 Pirates ArenaCup championship team.
Hill played two seasons as a Northern Illinois Huskie and recorded six tackles (four solo) and a tackle for a loss in 1997. In 1998 he had 13 tackles (three solo) and a tackle for a loss.
In order to make room for the two additions to the league mandated 21-man roster, Ingold had to reassign third string quarterback Brian Eyerman to the af2 league office. Eyerman had not played a game for the Steamwheelers and sat third on the depth chart behind starting quarterback Ronnie Gordon and backup Matt Pike.
The live televised game at Louisville is set to kickoff at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 5. Channel destinations and additional markets will be released later this week. The game will be broadcast live on Mediacom in the greater Quad City area including Clinton, Dubuque, Burlington, Cedar Rapids-Iowa City area, and Des Moines-Central Iowa area.
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